Deliciously Resourceful

Overnight Supreme Egg Bake

2013-12-30T20:35:00.000-05:00

I have been looking for the perfect crowd-pleasing egg casserole off and on for years. I never found anything that was just right (my criteria is easy, flavorful, and without potatoes or bread, as I usually serve at least 1 of those on the side) - until now! I came up with this version by combining and adjusting several others. You assemble it the night before, and just bake the next morning; easy and perfect for entertaining. I recently made it for brunch and everyone in my extended family gave it rave reviews!

Overnight Supreme Egg Bake
Serves 10-12

3 cups (12 oz.) shredded cheese - use what your family likes and what you have on hand. I used about a cup each of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella

1/2 medium onion
1/2 medium green bell pepper
1 medium zucchini
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) bulk pork breakfast sausage
8 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk (I use fat free)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Chop onion, pepper and zucchini, making sure all vegetable pieces are about the same size.

Heat skillet on stove top on medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks, until browned and fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until just tender, about 5 more minutes. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the egg mixture.

Break eggs into a blender. Blend briefly until lightly mixed. Add flour, milk, salt and pepper to eggs. Blend about 15 seconds, or until eggs are fully beaten and there are no clumps of flour.

Spray 13x9 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle half of cheese evenly into dish. Spoon vegetable and sausage mixture over cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of vegetables and sausage.
Evenly pour egg mixture over other ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take cover off of baking dish; bake about 55 minutes or until set and top is lightly browned. Let stand 5-10 minutes, then cut into squares. I cut it into 16 pieces, but it serves closer to 10 or 12 people. Enjoy!

Amazing Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing

2013-06-15T18:35:00.000-04:00

I have no idea why it's taken me so long to post this, but I will delay no longer! Multiple people agree it tastes nearly identical to Olive Garden's dressing, which means it is DELICIOUS! The secret (perhaps surprising) ingredient is the mayo.

Food Network magazine published a take on Olive Garden's Salad a year or two ago*, and I tweaked it to come up with this version.

I like to serve it with an Olive Garden-inspired salad of romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, black olives, sliced red onion, and a bit more mozzarella cheese.

Amazing "Olive Garden" Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
Makes about 3/4 cup

1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. regular (white) vinegar
3 T. lite mayonnaise (regular is fine too)
2 T. water
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. garlic salt
1.2 t. pepper
3/4 t. dried Italian seasoning
1 T. finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Combine all dressing ingredients except cheese in a measuring cup or small bowl. Whisk until well combined. Add cheese and stir until combined.

Keeps for about 1 week in the refrigerator, so can be made 1-2 days in advance.

* http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/almost-famous-garden-salad-recipe/index.html

Fabulous fake-out chicken

2013-01-27T13:01:00.003-05:00

Today I am sharing my latest amazingly delicious dish that is so simple, there is barely a recipe.

This IS made with chicken breasts, which we all have on hand. The fake-out part is that this recipe seems decadent and elegant. In fact, it is so easy, ready in less than 30 minutes, and is healthy, too! And, since it's coming from me, you know it's not expensive.

With only 3 ingredients - try it.You will not be disappointed!

Fabulous fake-out chicken
Amounts below are per serving (Make as many or few as you like. You could easily make 1-2 trays for a crowd!)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 individual wrapped garlic/herb cheese wedge with 30-40 calories (like the ones made by Alouette or Laughing Cow)
1-2 T sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped (I use the dried kind to keep the recipe lean, but you can use the ones packed in oil)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breast lengthwise about 3/4 of the way through (do not cut into 2 pieces).

Fold top of chicken over to expose the opening, and spread cheese wedge inside. Sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes on top of cheese. Fold the top of the chicken back over filling. Sprinkle top of chicken with black pepper to taste.

Bake for ~20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Two Holiday/Party Recipes - Peppermint Hot Chocolate & Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole

2012-12-20T21:28:00.000-05:00

It's been forever, so I'm going to try and make up for it by sharing two great recipes. They are perfect for the holidays or any party because they serve a crowd and can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.

The first is a hot chocolate recipe that debuted at a cookie exchange I hosted and has since made a couple of appearances. It tastes coffee-shop style decadent but is lighter than most of those versions - not to mention 10 times cheaper!

The second is a sweet potato dish I made for Thanksgiving. This is a much healthier version than the marshmallow-smothered version, and more delicious if I do say so myself. My aunt and grandma said it was the best sweet potatoes they had ever had.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate*

Serves ~12 (but can easily be cut in half or thirds)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

12 cups milk (I use non-fat)
1 and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 candy canes, unwrapped and crushed
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Place cocoa in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk until cocoa has dissolved. Add chocolate chips and crushed candy canes. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate and peppermint have melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

[If making ahead of time, cool and refrigerate. To reheat the hot chocolate, I put it in a crock pot on low 1-2 hours before the party. Stir and serve.]

Ladle into mugs. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole*
Serves ~12

4-5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (1-2 inches each. The absolute size is less important than ensuring all pieces are the same size)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 large egg
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (or any other nut)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mist a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a steamer basket. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. It is best to steam in a basket so the potatoes don't absorb extra moisture. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can cook the potatoes in water, but make sure you drain them very well.

Meanwhile, make simple syrup. In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water. Cook on medium-low, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved; this should take 3-5 minutes.

Mix the brown sugar, nuts and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl.

When the potatoes are tender, transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the simple syrup, egg, remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and salt. Whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the brown sugar and nut mixture over the potatoes. [Stop here if you are making ahead of time. Cool and refrigerate, then bake right before the meal.]

Bake until hot, ~30 minutes.

* I must give credit where it is due. The hot chocolate recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's Peppermint Hot Chocolate.The sweet potato recipe was adopted from Ellie Krieger's Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole Recipe.

"Better than Panera" Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2012-09-06T21:12:00.001-04:00

So, now that I've got your attention, let me clarify. This is much better for your health and your wallet than Panera, although the flavor rivals it as well.

I adapted Food Network Magazine's take on Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar soup to be quicker and healthier.

This is absolutely delicious - enjoy!

"Better than Panera" Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Makes 4 main-dish servings

4 T (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and half (fat free works well)
3 cups low-sodium or regular chicken broth
1 tsp dried bay leaves or 1 whole fresh bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste (I use ~1/2 tsp each)
1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (5-6 cups)
1 large carrot or 6-8 baby carrots, chopped
2 cups (8 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese (reduced fat works well)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3-4 minutes. Then, gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth.

Add the chicken broth and bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Add the broccoli and carrot and cook over medium-low heat about 30 minutes, or until broccoli and carrot are fully tender.

Blend the soup in batches in a blender, or in the pot with an immersion blender. You can choose to blend until smooth or leave a few chunks of broccoli,

Add cheese and stir until melted. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Microwave peanut butter chocolate fudge

2012-08-11T10:50:00.001-04:00

Remember this recipe when you want a yummy dessert that is fast, easy and you have all the ingredients on hand. Not to mention it is crazy delicious and inexpensive. Fancy enough for a party, easy enough for every day. You are welcome!

Thanks to my aunt who gave me the base recipe. I added peanut butter, but you can leave it out.

Microwave chocolate peanut butter fudge
Serves a crowd - Yields one 8 x 8 pan

1 lb. confectioners/powered sugar (about 3 1/4 cups)
1/2 c. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. milk
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/4 c. peanut butter

In a microwave safe bowl, stir sugar, cocoa, salt, milk and vanilla extract together. You won't be able to make it perfectly smooth, and that's okay. Place butter on top.

Microwave 2 minutes on high.

Stir until smooth. Add peanut butter and keep stirring until it is melted and incorporated.

Pour into a wax paper lined 8x8 baking dish. Chill 30 minutes in freezer.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

The Best Zucchini Muffins

2012-07-07T17:15:00.002-04:00

The best endorsement to these muffins is my husband's reaction: "I think these are the best muffins you've ever made!"

The reason that is so shocking is because they are vegan! We had my dear college friend over for breakfast; she's vegan now but I love a culinary challenge so I found a few vegan recipes to try.

I adapted this recipe from About.com* and my favorite thing about these muffins (aside from the fact that they are absolutely delicious!) is it doesn't call for any "weird" ingredients.

The Best Zucchini Muffins

Makes 20-24 muffins

Topping ingredients:
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. quick-cooking oats
1/2 t. cinnamon
3 T. canola or vegetable oil

Muffin ingredients:
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. canola or vegetable oil
1/4 c. any type milk (use almond, soy or coconut milk to keep the recipe vegan)
2 t. vanilla extract
3 c. grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.

Next, prepare the crumble topping. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon. Add oil and stir until evenly coated. Set aside.

In a separate, large bowl, prepare the muffin batter. With mixer, mix together sugar, applesauce, oil, milk and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon and mix until just combined. Add zucchini and stir until combined.

Scoop the batter until muffin tins. Do not fill more than 2/3 full as they will puff up considerably in the oven. Evenly sprinkle crumb topping on top of the batter.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until tops of muffins are brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

* http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/muffinsbiscuits/r/Vegan-Zucchini-Muffins.htm?r=et

The best Tabbouleh!

2012-06-03T20:31:00.004-04:00

I realize it's been awhile. I have unfortunately been short of good ideas - that is, until we went to Cincinnati's Lebanese Festival today! Here's the yummy food we had:

Tabbouleh (bulgur salad with tomatoes and parsley) is a Middle-Eastern staple that I fell in love with a few years ago. Not only it is delicious, it is healthy, inexpensive and a refreshingly different type of salad. Tabbouleh is typically served as a side dish, but I admit I often eat a larger portion for my meal!

Tabbouleh is one of those recipes that everyone makes a little differently. Here is my version:

Tabbouleh
Serves 4 as a side dish
[Easy to double or triple]

1/2 c. raw bulgur (cracked wheat kernels)
1 c. tomato, seeded and chopped (about 1 large)
1/4 c. red onion
1/4 c. diced cucumber (optional)
1/4 c. parsley, or more to taste (must use fresh in this recipe!)
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. water
1/4 t. salt, or more to taste
1/4 t. pepper, or more to taste

Rinse bulgur in a colander with cold water; drain. Place bulgur, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and parsley in a medium bowl, ideally with a lid. Combine liquid in a small bowl (I just use a liquid measuring cup), and stir to combine. Pour liquid over bulgur and vegetables. Stir, and season with salt and pepper. Salad should be thoroughly moistened, but with no excess liquid; if it's too dry, add extra lemon juice or water to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. I save a step of cooking the bulgur because it will soften as it sets; the flip side of this is you must refrigerate before serving unless you want hard bulgur!

Healthy Pizza Joes

2012-03-13T20:20:00.000-04:00

This lightened-up recipe is a delicious, crowd-pleasing variation on the Sloppy Joe. It is also fast and easy enough for any night of the week!

Healthy Pizza Joes
Serves 4-6

1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green (or other color) pepper, chopped
1.5 to 2 cups marinara sauce (depending on how "saucy" you want them)
~25 slices (about half of a 3 oz. package) turkey pepperoni or regular pepperoni, chopped
1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, oregano, black pepper
1/3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
Whole wheat hamburger buns, for serving

Add turkey, onion and green pepper to a skillet on medium heat (I don't add oil). Cook, breaking up the turkey, for 5-7 minutes or until turkey is cooked through; drain if needed. Stir in marinara sauce, pepperoni and seasonings. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve meat mixture on buns. If desired, top filling of each sandwich with 1 T. cheese.

Healthy Chicken Jambalaya

2012-03-01T21:11:00.000-05:00

Not only is this recipe healthy, it is absolutely delicious, inexpensive AND ready in less than 30 minutes. It's one of our new favorites!

Healthy Chicken Jambalaya**
Serves 4-6

1/2 to 3/4 lb. raw boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 t. cajun seasoning
6 to 8 oz. fully cooked chicken sausage (or turkey sausage, or "rope" sausage), thinly sliced
2 large bell peppers (any color), cut in into strips or 1 inch pieces.
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
1 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes

Rice, for serving (if desired).*

Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, toss chicken in cajun seasoning. Add chicken and sausage to skillet and cook, stirring, for around 5 minutes, or until chicken has browned and begun to cook through.

Add peppers and onions, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon. Cook for ~5 minutes more, until veggies are crisp tender and chicken is fully cooked through.

Serve with rice.

* I cook rice in a saucepan while I make the jambalaya. Brown rice takes a little more than 30 minutes, but it's much healthier. White rice can be done in 15 minutes if you are really in a hurry. Just bring 2 parts water and 1 part rice to a boil (I use ~1 1/3 c. rice and ~2 2/3 cups water), then cover and simmer until water is absorbed.
** This recipe was heavily influenced by a recipe in Better Homes and Garden magazine.

Delicious appetizer – Sausage stuffed jalapeños

2012-02-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

If you still need a recipe for the Super Bowl, try this one! This is an amazing appetizer with only 4 ingredients. It's a little spicy, but still a crowd-pleaser.

You can make this dish up to a day ahead if you’re making it for a gathering, and just bake when you’re ready. Dan and I usually just make these for us though, they are so good! With a salad and fruit, it’s not too unhealthy of a meal. =)

Sausage stuffed jalapeños

Makes roughly 2 1/2 to 3 dozen, but varies based on size of jalapeños

1 lb jalapeños

½ lb. sausage (can use hot if you want really spicy!)

1 8oz. package cream cheese (lite works great for this), softened

½ c. shredded parmesan or other Italian cheese

Cook and crumble sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Drain fat.

Meanwhile, prepare jalapeños by just slicing off stem and then cut in half horizontally; remove seeds, ribs and stems to have 2 halves; a grapefruit spoon works great for this if you have one. (Make sure to wash your hands very well afterwards and do not touch your eyes!)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

When sausage has cooled slightly, combine with cream cheese and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.

Spray glass baking dishes (you probably need 2) with baking spray. Place jalapeños in dishes, cut side up. Fill each jalapeño half with about 1 T. filling; use more or less depending on the size.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Healthy Makeover by request: Beef Porcupines

2012-01-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

If you are not familiar with this dish, Beef Porcupines are meatballs with rice served in a tomato sauce.

I received a request to make this recipe healthier on my Comments, Requests, and Questions tab from my mom; full request is at the bottom*. Everyone else, it’s your turn to send me something!

I love requests to make a recipe healthier, because it is a fun challenge. This makeover was unusual because I actually only changed the cooking method, and not the ingredients. My version is delicious and saves hundreds of calories per serving (all fat calories!) vs. the original recipe.

Healthier Beef Porcupines

Serves ~4 as a main dish

1 pound ground beef

1/2c raw white rice

1/2c chopped onion

1/2 t garlic salt

1/2 t pepper

8 oz. (1 c.) tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce

8 oz (1 c.) water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl (with your hands). Shape into evenly sized meatballs; I made about 20 but feel free to do 12 like the original recipe if you like them bigger. Place meatballs on a cooling rack placed on top of a cookie sheet (this will allow the fat to drain from the meat onto the cookie sheet). Bake for 12-16 minutes, depending on the size of the meatballs, or until brown and meat is cooked.

Turn oven down to 350 degrees.

Put meatballs into an 8 or 9 inch glass baking dish. Pour tomato sauce and water on top of meatballs. Put baking dish in oven and bake for 45 minutes; turn meatballs over after 20-25 minutes to ensure rice cooks.

* Here’s the request:

I have an old recipe I'd like to see if you can make healthier. It's called Beef Porcupines!! Mix meat, rice, onion and seasonings, and shape into 12 meatballs. Fry in 3T hot oil, turning frequently until golden brown on all sides. Pour one 8 ounce can tomato sauce and one can water over the meatballs, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Mercat’s White Beans – made easier and healthier

2012-01-01T17:50:00.000-05:00

Happy new year, everyone!

I had a fabulous lunch over the holidays at Iron Chef Jose Garces’ restaurant Mercat in Chicago http://www.mercatchicago.com/. It is wonderful – and not too expensive - so you should definitely go if you are ever in downtown Chicago.

I was quite excited that the chef shared a few of their recipes with me, including a killer white bean side dish. This is my modified version that is the right size for a family (not gallons!), and even easier and healthier than the restaurant's recipe. I bet these will be the best, most flavorful beans you have ever had.

This recipe is easily halved or doubled.

Gina’s easy Mercat white beans

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

2 slices bacon (raw, not precooked)

½ onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 - 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 c. low sodium (or regular) chicken broth

1/2 t. salt

1 t. dried thyme*

1 t. dried rosemary*, divided

1/2 t. black pepper

Cook bacon in a saucepan on medium until crisp. Set aside bacon strips. In pan with bacon drippings, cook onion and garlic until translucent/a few minutes. Add beans, chicken broth, salt, thyme, and ½ t. rosemary. Simmer on low, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, crumble or chop the bacon when it is cool. Stir the remaining ½ t. rosemary, pepper and bacon pieces into beans just before serving.

* Two notes on herbs:

1. I used dried herbs because I always have them on hand and fresh can be hard to find in the winter, but of course use fresh if you have it; you’ll probably need to double the amount.

2. These beans are very flavorful, so if you are feeding kids or like things less robust, start with half the amount I have listed and adjust to taste.

Easy Slow Cooker Meal – Pork Roast

2011-12-04T15:40:00.000-05:00

I love it when 15 minutes in the morning equals a delicious and healthy dinner! I made this yesterday, and it was great to have a hot and yummy meal waiting after a day of errands.

You can also prepare this meal the night before, and store the crock pot liner in the fridge overnight (but be sure to wrap the top in foil to try to keep the aroma from the rest of your refrigerator). You can swap in different meats – beef roast or a whole chicken are delicious - with these same vegetables and flavorings.

With a salad, this is an especially filling and healthy meal – not to mention inexpensive! The leftovers are also terrific.

Gina’s Easy Crock Pot Pork Roast

Serves ~8

~3 lbs pork shoulder, fully thawed*

1 ½ c. baby carrots (or regular carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces)

3-4 red potatoes, or 1 large russet potato, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces**

2 T. spicy or Dijon mustard

1 t. garlic salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. dried rosemary

1 t. dried oregano

½ onion, sliced

1-2 stalks celery, sliced (optional)

1 ½ c. water

Place prepared potatoes and carrots in the bottom of your slow cooker insert. Trim all visible fat off of pork shoulder (you can skip this step if you don't care about the fat content), and place pork on top of vegetables. Put mustard and herbs directly on pork, and rub into meat with your hands or a spoon. Top with onion and celery, if using. Add water to the side of the roast, as you want to keep the herbs and onions on top of meat.

Cook ~8 hours on low.

* Sometimes I can only find pork shoulders that are 5-6 lbs. If that’s the case, cut it in half and freeze the rest for another day.

** Until today, I always just used regular potatoes, so feel free to just use extra white potatoes. But I must say the sweet potatoes really jazz up the recipe and are delicious!

Easy, disappearing appetizer - Bacon water chestnuts

2011-11-20T16:36:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the holiday season... you will be a star of the night if you bring this to a party or serve it at your home!

This recipe is (with few modifications) from my grandpa who made this at many, many holidays - miss you, grandpa!

Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts
Makes 3-5 dozen, about 1 9x13 pan. Feeds 8-12. [Easily doubled!]

2 cans whole water chestnuts
2 small or 1 large package(s) pre-cooked bacon (20-30 slices)*
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1 t. worchestershire sauce
Toothpicks

Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap 1 bacon half around 1 water chestnut. Secure with a toothpick and place toothpick side up in a baking dish. Continue until all water chestnuts are used.

For sauce, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and worchestershire sauce in a bowl and stir until mixed. Pour sauce over bacon wrapped water chestnuts in baking dish (it's okay if some gets on the toothpicks!).

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until hot and sauce is bubbly.

* You can also use raw bacon for this recipe. You may want to cut slices in 1/3s depending on the size. Prepare the rest of the recipe as instructed, but they will take an additional 10 minutes to bake.

Easy, sneaky ways to make recipes healthier

2011-11-12T17:24:00.000-05:00

This topic is by request, and one of my favorites (thanks, Laurie!).

Question: I often try to substitute lower fat/calorie ingredients, but inevitably my family notices and scoffs. Any tricks to hiding healthier ingredients would be appreciated!

Answer: I'm going to expand the question a little bit and talk about how to make recipes healthier in general. Note that these apply more to cooking than baking, as you have to be more precise when baking. I hope these tips help!

1. Choose the right substitute for the recipe. I typically rely more on reduced fat ingredients than fat free, especially if they are a major ingredient in the recipe. For example, reduced fat sour cream and reduced fat cream cheese taste pretty much the same as the regular ingredients so you should be able to substitute these without anyone noticing. I have found that fat free ingredients do work in some cases; you can get away with them in recipes with very flavorful ingredients, such as sausage or buffalo sauce, or when they are a minor part of the recipe, such as creamy mashed potatoes.

2. Use less of the rich/fatty/caloric ingredients. Start by reducing the ingredient by ¼, and see how it tastes; you may be able to cut back even more next time! For example, a few casserole recipes I have call for 16 oz. of cheese on top for a 9x13 pan; I have been able to successfully top them with 8 oz. instead and they still taste very cheesy. Butter is a place that I nearly always cut back, and the recipe will still taste similar.

3. Use more of the healthy ingredients, especially veggies! This is the flip side of the last hint, and using extra healthy ingredients when you take out some less healthy ones will keep the total recipe size the same, or even make it larger. Instead of ½ of a pepper, use a whole pepper, for example. Vegetables (and fruit!) really stretch out meat and starch, and you’ll still get some of the heavier ingredients in each bite.

4. Add extra healthy ingredients to the recipe. My favorites are additional types of vegetables and canned beans. The key to no one noticing is to keep the new ingredients aligned with the cuisine (for example, tomatoes in an Italian dish, beans to Mexican, mushrooms and onions go with most anything…). I’ve added beans to all kinds of casseroles and salads and they really add a lot of nutrition and stretch out the meal a little bit.

5. Season well, and at the end. Don’t cut back on herbs or garlic; I usually tend to use even more as these ingredients add a lot of flavor for barely any calories and no fat. If you’re trying to cut back on salt, you might be able to use less by saving some for the end. I don’t use a lot of salt in general, but I try to use only about half the amount called for in the beginning, and then taste later. If and when you need to add more, sprinkle it on the top and you can probably use a little less than usual because it will be more pronounced.

What’s in Dan’s lunch – Healthy Taco Salad

2011-11-03T19:48:00.000-04:00

Yes, an absolutely delicious taco salad without a shell, chips or even rice. This is so good Dan requested it for lunch 3 days in a row! It also makes a fast and yummy dinner in 20 minutes flat.

Feel free to adjust the ingredients to fit your liking. I make 1 lb. of meat (enough for 4 servings) at once, but you can easily make as much or little as you like. And, I really just use a handful of each ingredient but I tried to give an approximate measurement here.

Healthy Taco Salad

Per serving:

2-3 cups lettuce of choice

Vegetables of choice, chopped. Some good options include carrots, tomatoes, fresh peppers (green, red and/or hot), red onion, olives and corn

¼ cup canned beans (such as black, kidney or great northern), drained and rinsed

4 oz. taco-seasoned ground turkey *see instructions below*

½ small or ¼ large avocado, chopped (optional)

1-2 T shredded cheese of choice, such as cheddar

For topping: salsa, sour cream, and/or ranch or blue cheese dressing

Prepare taco meat as directed below*. If eating right away, layer all ingredients through cheese in order listed above. Drizzle/scoop toppings over the salad as a dressing. Enjoy!

* Taco meat – enough for 4 servings:

Cook 1 lb. ground turkey breast in a medium to large saucepan over medium heat, breaking up, until cooked through. Drain. Add ½ packet taco seasoning and 1-2 T water. Stir well. Best served hot.

Note: Per serving, this equates to ¼ lb. turkey and ~1 t. taco seasoning if you want to make a different number of servings at once.

Packing instructions: In a medium/large container, layer lettuce, beans, vegetables and cheese. Pack meat in a separate small bowl. Toss the chopped avocado with just enough lemon juice to coat, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Finally, you’ll want the salsa, sour cream and/or salad dressing in another container.

To serve: Reheat turkey in microwave. Add meat, avocado, and salsa/sour cream to lettuce bowl and enjoy!

Homemade Butterfinger Candy Bars - So easy!

2011-10-26T22:17:00.000-04:00

Yes, you read that right. Just in time for Halloween you can make your own candy! I modified an already easy online recipe to be so easy, anyone can do it! We really enjoyed these, as did the friends we shared them with!

This treat has it all!

3 ingredients (including a surprising one you are likely to have on hand right now!)
Very easy
No special equipment - all you need is a microwave!
Fast
Delicious - Obviously. It tastes like a Butterfinger!
Inexpensive
* Well, it isn't healthy, but it's candy after all! *

Homemade Butterfinger Candy
Makes ~24 bars (one 9x13 pan)

1 lb candy corn
1 16 oz. jar peanut butter
16 oz. package chocolate candy coating*

Place peanut butter in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl that is microwaveable, melt candy corn in microwave 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until melted. Pour candy corn liquid into peanut butter bowl and stir together; make sure to work quickly as the mixture will harden in just a few minutes. Spread peanut butter mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. Let cool completely; you can even do this step 1-2 days ahead as the bottom layer becomes crunchier/more like the candy with time.

Melt chocolate coating in microwave and pour over peanut butter layer. Cool until coating is set, cut into squares, and enjoy!

I prefer to store this in the refrigerator as the texture is a bit more crisp, but you don't need to.

* Note, you could definitely substitute part of the candy coating for semi-sweet or other chocolate chips for a more gourmet version, but this tastes just like the candy we all know and love.

By request – Country-style green beans

2011-10-20T21:35:00.000-04:00

I’m quite excited to be posting my first recipe by request. Thanks for the question, Megan!

I had to do a little research and experimenting on this one to come up with an easy recipe (i.e. one that doesn't involve a ham hock or whole ham). I’m happy with how it turned out, but please try it and post what you think. Enjoy!

Everyone else, I would love your requests on the “Comments, Requests and Questions” tab. Post one now!

Country–style green beans (some recipe call a similar dish Kentucky green beans)

Serves 4

~1 lb green beans - trim stem ends, and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 T. deli ham, diced very small*

1 T. butter

1 c. water

1 T. white vinegar

¼ to ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until green beans are at desired tenderness, at least 40 minutes, or up to 1 hour or more. Serve with a slotted spoon.

* Note: You can buy diced ham, or dice medium-thick sliced ham. If you do happen to have a ham hock you would like to use instead, omit the butter.

Amazing salad: pear, gorgonzola and chicken with berry vinaigrette

2011-09-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

I just made this for the first time tonight with leftover chicken, and it is absolutely delicious! The dressing especially is awesome - can't beat 2 ingredients! The whole recipe is really fast, easy and nutritious too.

Pear, gorgonzola and chicken salad with berry vinaigrette*
Serves 2 for a main dish - easy to halve, double or triple

4-5 cups lettuce of choice (we had romaine and baby spinach)
1 c. cooked, sliced chicken
1/2 pear, thinly sliced (eat the rest for a snack!)
2 T. crumbled gorgonzola cheese
2 T. nuts (we had almonds)
Black pepper
1.5 T berry jam (we had blackberry)
1.5 T. balsamic vinegar

In individual bowls, layer lettuce, chicken, pear, gorgonzola and nuts. Sprinkle with pepper.
Combine jam and balsamic vinegar in a small microwave-save bowl and microwave for 10 seconds; combine with a fork or small whisk. Top salad with dressing and enjoy!

* This recipe was heavily inspired by Susannah Locketti's Endive and Pear Salad in Food Network magazine.

Anniversary (or any special occasion) dinner – Steak w/ blue cheese, garlic smashed potatoes and asparagus

2011-09-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don’t know, it was our 5^th (!!) anniversary on Friday. Dan and I thought about going out but decided to enjoy a nice meal at home instead.

Not only was it much more affordable, I personally think it was restaurant quality and no need to deal with Friday night crowds! We served the meal with a $4 bottle of White Zinfandel wine from Trader Joe’s. I’m far from a wine connoisseur, but I really like it; try it before you knock it!

Steak with Blue Cheese topping

Serves 2, but can easily be doubled or tripled

2 Strip Steaks - That’s what we had but you can use others. Rather than the cheapest cut, find a mid-tier+ one that’s on significant sale – I got this $4 per pound off.

Pepper and/or steak seasoning

2 T gorgonzola or other blue cheese crumbles

1 T softened butter or margarine

Preheat grill (or appliance of choice – we used our George Foreman), and season steaks on both sides with pepper/seasoning to taste. Cook ~2 minutes or 1 level less than desired; for example, medium if you want your steak to be medium-well. While steaks cook, preheat oven to broil – toaster oven is fine if there’s only 2. Mix blue cheese crumbles and butter until thick and uniform, then spread on top of steaks. Broil 2-3 minutes, or until steaks and cheese mixture are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Serves ~4

Around 1 1/3 lb potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces. We had red potatoes, but regular russet are fine too. If you use russet, be sure to peel them – you don’t need to peel most other types.

2/3 c. garlic sour cream*

Pepper to taste

Other herbs as desired – I used dried dill and parsley, ~1/2 t. each

Put potatoes in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until fork tender - meaning a fork will go in easily and split the piece in half, 20-30 minutes.

Smash potatoes with a spatula or large spoon (or a potato masher if you happen to have one, but I do not!) just until potatoes reach desired consistency; we like a few chunks still in. Stir in garlic sour cream and season to taste.

* I actually made potatoes this way to use up this new sour cream, which I got on super sale (of course). It has a very strong garlic flavor, so is great for this recipe, but not the best plain. To substitute, you can use 4-6 cloves of minced garlic and 2/3 c. sour cream.

Steamed Asparagus

Serves 4

1 lb. Asparagus - I always look for relatively skinny stems as they are the most tender.

Seasoning to taste

I didn’t do anything special here. Trim off the tough bottom end of asparagus spears, usually 2 to 3 inches. Place in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 5-7 minutes, or until desired texture is reached (if you don’t have a steamer basket, boil 1 inch water in a pot wide enough for the asparagus, and place asparagus in the water to simmer). Do not overcook!

New space for requests and general comments!

2011-09-18T15:01:00.000-04:00

I figured out how to add a page dedicated to general comments/questions/requests.

Look on the right hand side of the blog. "Home" is the regular page. The self-explanatory "Comments, Requests and Questions" page will allow you post things not specific to a particular post.

I'll check it regularly and you might just find any requests in a future post!

Enjoy!

My famous White Chicken Chili

2011-09-10T10:42:00.000-04:00

I managed to hold off until the weather isn’t scorching, but I can’t wait any longer to share my white chicken chili recipe.

When you look at the ingredients and see it’s nearly all canned, you will quickly recognize it is easy. What you might not know is this has won or placed in at least 3 chili cook offs – yes, it's true! The spice level is perfect for a crowd - enough for people who like heat, but still mild enough for those who don't like things too spicy.

On top of being delicious, it’s also fairly low in calories and fat; it is high in sodium, but otherwise is healthy. And, it's easily doubled as long as you have a big enough pot!

Easy White Chicken Chili

Serves 6

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced OR 2 small cans chicken (If starting from raw chicken, I usually place it in water and gently simmer while I work on the rest, then chop and add at the end)

2 - 15 oz. cans great northern beans, undrained

2 – 10 oz. cans condensed cream of chicken soup

1-2 soup cans water (I usually use 1.5 but you can adjust based on your desired thickness)

1 – 10 oz. can Rotel Original - diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 packet white chicken chili mix (found in the spice aisle)

1 onion, diced

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Then, simmer on low for 20-30 minutes or until hot and flavors are combined

What’s in Dan’s lunch – Exploding Chicken Fajita Wraps

2011-09-02T08:51:00.000-04:00

I’m only calling these exploding b/c I stuffed so much into them, it barely closes! Feel free to use whatever cheese and veggies you have and like. But, I strongly recommend roasting chicken this way – not only is it way more delicious than deli meat, it’s 1/6^th the price!!

Do not be intimidated by bone-in, skin-on chicken… I actually had not made bone-in chicken before this but it turned out great and was so yummy. I found out that it are easy (as long as you have a little time - but it is leave and forget time!), and are much more fool-proof than boneless skinless chicken breast – you would have to try pretty hard to dry them out.

This chicken is perfect for entertaining, but I definitely recommend making extra as the leftovers are delicious! I made 6 bone-in breasts for 5 adults when we had my family over, and had enough left over for 3 wraps and another 1+ pound for a chicken casserole.

Roasted Chicken

Bone-in, skin on chicken breasts. Assuming you want leftovers, I would use at least 1 more than the number of adults you have coming. These are full breasts so usually run about 1 lb each (read: not everyone will eat a whole one)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic – ½ clove per chicken breast, diced

Optional: Other ingredients to stuff under the skin. I had basil and mozzarella cheese, but you don’t need anything.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare baking sheets by placing cooling racks on top of rimmed sheet pans. You could omit the cooling racks if you don’t have them, but it allows the chicken to cook more evenly.

Place chicken breasts on top of baking trays. Loosen skin with your fingers. Place garlic and any optional ingredients under the skin; no need to be too particular about getting it even.

Spritz or brush top of chicken with olive oil. I have an olive oil mister I love; helps you only use a little but make sure it is covered. Then, season top of chicken with salt and pepper.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Exploding Chicken Fajita Wraps

Per wrap:

1 tortilla – We had flour but any would work. I would not suggest bread with this though; sliced chicken and all these veggies need to be contained!

Leftover roasted chicken, shredded or cut into pieces

Leftover veggies - I had leftover cooked onions and peppers, but you could certainly use fresh veggies - it would still be delicious but just may not be as fajita-like

Shredded cheddar jack cheese (or cheese of choice)

Salsa or sour cream for serving (optional)

Packing instructions: Assuming you want a hot wrap, pack the meat, veggies and cheese in a separate container from the tortilla. Of course, keep any condiments for dipping on the side.

Reheating instructions: Heat veggies, chicken, cheese in the microwave. Drain any liquid, then add filling to tortilla and roll up tightly. Serve with salsa or sour cream, if desired.

Easy, affordable entertaining recipe - Bruschetta

2011-08-28T20:48:00.000-04:00

We had my grandma, aunt and uncle over for dinner last night. I made bruschetta, roasted chicken and a salad. It was amazingly easy (and cheap and delicious too!). The roasted chicken recipe will be making an appearance in a "what's in Dan's lunch" post soon, so stay tuned!

I took my family up on their offer to bring dessert. In my opinion, it's rarely a bad idea to let your guests bring a dish if they ask; it makes them happy they contributed and saves you some work!

This bruschetta is so delicious, fast and inexpensive that you will never want to order it at a restaurant again.

Classic Bruschetta
Serves ~6

2 T. fresh basil, chopped OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried basil
2-3 large tomatoes or 4-6 Roma tomatoes - approx 2 c. diced
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. olive oil (you can use more or less to taste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 loaf French baguette (I've used multi-grain but white would be great too. Look first in the day-old bakery rack since you're toasting it anyway)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Note that you can actually use anywhere from 375 to 425 for this if you are cooking anything else in the oven.

Seed and chop tomatoes; seeding just means to scoop out the inside, liquid part with a spoon. Combine in a small bowl with basil and balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Thinly slice baguette at a slight angle. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle garlic over the top. Bake bread for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown.

Drain extra liquid from tomatoes before serving. Let people top the bread slices with tomato mixture as you serve; do not top the bread before serving or it will get soggy.

Variation: Cheesy bruschetta
It's not traditional, but I added some sliced fresh mozzarella to half of the baguette halfway through the cooking time and baked until melted. I happened to have fresh mozzarella because I got it on mark-down at the store, but any shredded Italian cheese such as mozzarella or provolone would work. This allowed people to just have cheesy bread if they don't want the tomato mixture, but the cheese bread with the tomato topper was my absolute favorite.